Quantum Threat Puts Zcash’s Privacy at Risk, Experts Warn
A debate on the quantum resistance of privacy coins, held on October 30, 2025, sparked discussion on the future of Zcash. Nic Carter, a prominent cryptocurrency analyst, expressed concerns about the privacy of Zcash and other coins in the face of quantum computers.
Nic Carter argued that most privacy coins, including Zcash, will lose their privacy once Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is broken by quantum computers. He warned that even if coins upgrade to quantum-resistant signatures, old activity will still be exposed. Carter concluded that it's unrealistic to say Zcash privacy is perfectly quantum-resistant due to potential leaks and the permanent ledger.
Sean Bowe, a Zcash engineer, countered that Zcash's fully shielded pool does not put critical sender/receiver information on the ledger, making it resistant to quantum attacks. However, Carter argued that Zcash's long-term privacy depends on strong assumptions that often break in the real world. Mert Mumtaz, also known as Helius, agreed with Carter's warning for many privacy coins but not necessarily for Zcash.
Despite these concerns, Zcash continues to innovate. Sean Bowe leads the Tachyon Project, aiming to enhance Zcash's performance by handling thousands of private transactions per second while improving network synchronization, without introducing a new shielded protocol.
At press time, ZEC traded at $366. While debates continue about the quantum resistance of privacy coins, Zcash remains committed to improving its performance and privacy features. The future of Zcash and other privacy coins in the face of quantum computers remains a topic of active discussion and development.
